October 2011, Vol. XXXI, No. 8

Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters

T his summer I had such a wonderful

family reunion at our house in Betha-

ny. It made me both nostalgic and so

very grateful. Nostalgic about old

times on the farm at home and the great times we

had as family; grateful for the wonderful people

my family has evolved into today. I felt keenly the

two pulls within me: nostalgia for the past and

gratefulness for the evolution that brings us to

where we are today. Feeling those two pulls made

it very clear to me there is no turning back—life is

forward moving.

Nostalgia can make us like the Israelites

who complained in the wilderness. (Exodus 16:2-

3) ―If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in

the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots

and ate our fill of bread, but you (Moses and

Aaron) have brought us out into this wilderness

that we might die of hunger.‖ It seemed the Israel-

ites nostalgically preferred their former situation of

slavery in Egypt with the security of enough to eat

to the insecurity of the unknown and the challenge

of making their way to the Promised Land.

Life is like that! We need to let go of what

is behind in order to move forward into the

unknown future. We need to take risks and be

creative. Grateful for what was, we risk the

unknown and with courage move forward in the

direction in which we are being led. We live in a

time of vulnerability where all the big institutions,

including Church and government, which we

humans fashioned over the years, are presently

undergoing great stress.

(continued on page 2)

Through the changing

seasons of the year,

The tree always lets go

and lets be

And becomes more fully

the tree it is.

(continued from page 1)

We are challenged to risk facing up to this institutional and Congregational stress with creativ-

ity and with HOPE for a better future for all. The temptation may be to go back to the old

days to perhaps a more innocent and less challenging time. This temptation is an illusion.

Life is unfolding. Life is evolving. Life is forward moving. There can be no turning back

from the wilderness we are in if we are to receive the promise: ―The wilderness, the dry land

shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom.‖ (Isaiah 35:1)

Sr. Carol Welp

New Preschool in St. Kitts

2

Sunday, September 4, we celebrated the opening of the Holy Spirit Catholic Pre-

school in Molineux, St. Kitts. The opening began with liturgy celebrated by Fr. Jan

Pastuszczak, SVD. It was attended by parents, students, members of both the Molineux and

St. Kitts Catholic communities as well as guests. Thirteen of our sixteen students, dressed in

their preschool uniforms, walked with their parents in the entrance procession. They carried

plants as a symbol of the school‘s role in nurturing the lives of our children. Fr. Jan in his

homily connected very nicely the theme of the day‘s Gospel with the important role of educa-

tion in the formation of our children and the transformation of the society. Before the

concluding prayer, one of the parents spoke in gratitude to the Sisters because the local

community‘s dream for a preschool in Molineux has finally been realized. Sr. AnnIta Walsh

spoke on behalf of the province and expressed best wishes on behalf of Srs. Carol Welp,

Margaret Hansen and Xaveriana Ngene and all the sisters of the Paraclete Province.

After Mass, Mrs. Gilbert, the oldest member of the community, cut the ribbon on the

door of the preschool classroom thereby launching the opening of the preschool. Refresh-

ments were then served and the people stayed to view their new facility and to enjoy the

company of one another.

Sr. Julita Bele Bau

Entrance procession with parents and students First day of school with Sr. Julita

Province Events

in September

3

Sr. Uloma Akpa made her first vows on September

8. Several of her relatives who live in the U.S. were

able to join in the celebration. She will soon begin

an internship at the Center of Reconciliation on the

south side Chicago run by the Precious Blood

Fathers and Sisters. They work in the youth

detention center and with the neighborhood gangs,

schools and churches as instruments of the Lord‘s

peace. Sr. Uloma is the first Nigerian Sister in our

Congregation.

On September 18, Rebecca Chaan David

proclaimed her desire to enter the novitiate and

begin immediate preparation for following Jesus and

partaking in His mission as a Holy Spirit Missionary

Sister.

The novitiate is a time when a young woman lives

the religious life and, under guidance, prepares for

total dedication to God. Rebecca is from Sudan and

was able to meet with her parents (above) in Uganda

shortly before entering the novitiate. She will be

doing her novitiate in Chicago with our community

in Rogers Park.

Sr. Lidwina

On September 25, Sr. Lidwina Murakami,

Provincial of Japan, gave a presentation on

her country and Province. The after-effects

of the earthquake and tsunami are still of

critical concern. There are many Caritas ba-

ses in the area offering the necessities of life

to many who are still displaced.

On September 12, Sr. Agathe Bramkamp

and her niece, Sigrid, who was visiting from

Germany for two weeks, took our novice,

Sr. Salud Osornio, to New York City. The

drive was long, but nevertheless very enjoya-

ble. Sr. Gladys Smith, who was alone in

New York at the time, was happy to

welcome them. Since Sigrid was eager to

explore New York and Sr. Salud would start

her mission work very soon, the three

enjoyed some days of being tourists, visiting

the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Unit-

ed Nations and Chinatown. Sigrid toured the

big museums, Times Square, the Empire

State Building and many more "must-see"

sights alone, while Srs. Agathe and Salud

visited the places of Salud's mission expo-

sure for the next six months. Sr. Salud

committed herself to CCD work in two

parishes, is helping in a big recycling center

run by a sister and joins various parish

groups in their activities and prayer. There

seems to be plenty of work for her in that

part of the vineyard. We all wish her God's

abiding grace of courage and joy in her

mission.

(continued on page 4)

Rebecca and her parents.

Sr. Salud Osornio, our second year nov-

ice, has been appointed to the New York

community for her apostolic experience.

Sr. Sara Guardado, our second year nov-

ice in Mexico, will be returning to the U.S.

after the middle of October.

Sr. Leonette Kaluzny will be joining the

New York community in November.

There she will be the third SSpS in the

community and will serve in parish and

liturgy ministry.

On September 21 we had the joy of wel-

coming Sr. Dolores Marie Kuhl back into

our community at Techny. Sr. Monica

Balbuena also returned from New York to

begin her studies at DePaul. Welcome

back, Sisters!

Sr. Claudette Burkel who was here visit-

ing from Ghana returned to Techny on

September 25 after being with her family

in Wisconsin. Ghana welcomed her home

on October 6.

(continued from page 3)

Wednesday, September 28, a group of

ladies came from Our Lady of Perpetual

Help Parish for an Oktoberfest celebration.

Several SVDs joined the Sisters for sing-

ing, fun and games. The evening meal

featured German bratwurst and beer - two

Oktoberfest favorites. A good time was

had by all!

Wednesday, October 5, 14 Sisters joined

the SVD at their residence for a Bingo

Party and the evening meal. Everybody

was a winner!

Our deceased:

Sr. Elizabeth Jueditz, who died peacefully on

October 5 at age 94.

Our sick:

Rito Martinez, brother of Sr. Therese Mary,

who is not doing well.

Millie, niece of Sr. Sienna Ressel, who had

extensive back surgery and Gerard, her neph-

ew, who is having heart catheterization.

Mrs. Ida Mockler, sister-in-law of Sr. Agnes

Marie Crabb, who is very ill.

We continue to pray for those suffering from

our broken-down immigration system and for

victims of human trafficking.

Last month I asked for a sharing on ―What did

you take ‗to go‘ from the retreat?‖ I‘m grateful

there was at least one response.

Sr. Carol

Fr. Walter Bunofsky, SVD, from Epworth:

―This came to me from Fr. Don Goergen’s talk

on ‗from aging to saging.‘‖

Nature Walk

Walking with Nature

Breathing with her trees

Rippling along her brooks and rills

Her flowers company keeping

Listening to croaking bull frogs

Chirping birds

Scampering squirrels rustling leaves

A goodly way to spend a goodly day!

For Your Prayerful Remembrance

4

Comings and Goings

Retreat

Province Events

in September

8th Day Center Event of 2011

The theme for the September‘s Event was

―Justice is what Love looks like in Public‖

from Cornel West. This past September 17,

supporters and friends of the 8th Center for

Justice gathered at the Irish American Herit-

age Center for its Annual Celebration. Jerica

Arents of the White Rose Catholic Worker

received the lst annual Mary Elsbernd, OSF

Award and Roy Bourgeois, MM spoke on

―Revolution of Love, - a call to us in these

times. Sr. Maria Elisabeth Klodt and Sr.

Rose Therese Nolta participated in the event.

5

Articles for silent auction, some

given by the SSpS Sr. Maria Elisabeth and Adrienne Kalmes

Jerica Arents receiving her award

On September 30, Srs. Carol Welp and Lidwina Murakami left for Rome to attend the

Provincials‘ Assembly. On Thursday, Septem-

ber 29, a special "send-off" was held at the

noon meal. Special "guests" were two of the

three archangels, Michael and Gabriel

(portrayed by Srs. Marie Angela Risa and

Dolores Marie Kuhl), who brought the two

Sisters various gifts for the trip: booties to keep

their feet warm; suduko puzzles for the plane;

notebooks for the meetings; thank you cards

for any necessity; binoculars to see distant

places without having to travel to them; an

Italian dictionary for any words they might not

understand. They were reminded that the

Italians speak with their hands, and those

words "are not in the dictionary!"

Sr. Lidwina and Sr. Carol

6

One by one, group by group, the Provincial/Regional

Leaders arrived. Fr. Antonio Pernia, SVD (Superior

General) celebrated the opening Mass. The Liturgy was

festive and at the same time solemn.

Before the final blessing, Sr. Maria Theresia Hörne-

mann (Congregational Leader) welcomed warmly the

participants of the Assembly. She invited them to pour

out all that they ‗have brought along, allowing the

Spirit to transform each one‘ in hope that after three

weeks, new hopes and joys may be brought back to the

provinces and regions from this special time of their

being together. She concluded thus: ‗Let’s go, trusting

that the Spirit will lead our Assembly and transform

what needs to be transformed in our image of God, our view of religious missionary life and

our understanding of Leadership service as women disciples in our Congregation.”

Sunday, September 11, was remembered with

prayers for peace in the world and in our country.

After the storm, the rainbow comes.

4th Provincial/Regional Leaders’ Assembly

News from Rome

Arrivals

Official Opening Orientation

Scenes from Techny

Midwest Rising Convergence – St Louis

St. Louis held the Midwest Rising Convergence from August 12-15 at the University of

Missouri–St. Louis Conference Center. Approximately 200 people participated in the work-

shops, panel discussions and direct actions in St. Louis against Monsanto and other corporate

giants. Sr. Rose Therese Nolta took part focusing on environmental issues and making the

connections between large corporation and what is happening to our environment.

Saturday and Sunday consisted of various workshops; among

them were economics 101, racism and oppression, a panel dis-

cussion on money, economic and corporate power. An emphasis

was placed on environmental workshops, such as; tar sands

pipeline, fracking (hydraulic fracturing) and the coal industry –

especially mountain top removal. Sr. Rose Therese shared about

Mountaintop Coal Removal in Appalachia and current

responses.

One such response is the La Vista Oblate Ecological Learning Center in Godfrey, Illinois, with

Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND, as Director. La Vista has various learning programs, but it has a

community-supported garden where people buy shares into receiving organic produce during

the seasons of spring, summer and fall.

Interfaith Post Detention Response Network Training

In response to the growing needs of men and women who are released from immigration deten-

tion, the Interfaith Post Detention Response Network has formed, as a joint project with Sisters

and Brothers of Immigrants and the Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants, to develop a

response network to accompany those men and women who are released from detention.

Training was held on September 19 from 1-4 pm at Br. David Darst Center. Sr. Rose Therese

attended this training and will be involved in this type of accompaniment. More training will be

held in the Chicago area for those interested.

Peace and Justice News

7

JPIC

SSpS

USA

8

October 8-16

As members of Jubilee USA the Holy Spirit

Missionary Sisters are joining Jubilee

groups from all around the USA and the

world for a week of action against illegiti-

mate debt and reforming international finan-

cial institutions. During this week we are

demanding global debt justice by breaking

the chains of debt slavery!

On October 16 Christian communities will

dedicate parts of, or all of their service to

the vision of Jubilee. As Christians, we have

a specific message of hope to bring to this

movement. Jesus stood up and spoke out

about the injustices that were happening in

his time. Our scriptures tell us that God

cares deeply for those who are oppressed

and that God promises to hear us when we

pray. Let‘s join hands and pray and act to-

gether in conscience.

October 2011

Jubilee USA, a bipartisan

and nonprofit alliance, will

introduce the Jubilee Act to

Congress this fall. The legis-

lation will provide solutions

to the international debt cri-

ses and work towards implementing responsible

lending and borrowing. It calls for mechanisms

to promote transparency and accountability in

the international financial institutions that will

produce greater economic justice for all! Stay

alert for future actions to help pass this neces-

sary policy!

Debt and Millennium

Development Goals

Poverty is increasing here in the

U.S. and all over the world. In the

year 2000, world leaders at the United Nations

committed to a set of development goals to alle-

viate global poverty called the Millennium De-

velopment Goals (MDGs).

The MDG goals include:

Halving the number of people who live in

extreme poverty (defined as living on less

than $1 a day)

Providing equal and full access to primary

and secondary schooling for all genders;

reducing child and maternal mortality

Halting and reversing the spread of HIV/

AIDS, malaria and TB

Ensuring environmental stability; providing

access to safe drinking water

Addressing the particular problems of the

poorest countries including unsustainable

debt levels.

9

Debt Cancellation: An Essential

Component to Meet the MDGs

It is clear that there is no magic bullet to

achieve the MDGs. A combination of more

and better aid, debt cancellation, trade jus-

tice, and an end to harmful economic condi-

tions; all must be employed alongside new

and innovative sources of financing.

Debt cancellation now has a ten year track

record of freeing up resources to fight pov-

erty. Thanks to the limited debt relief to

date:

Social spending across countries that

have received debt relief has risen

by about 75 percent.

Zambia has hired 4,500

new teachers and abol-

ished fees for rural

healthcare.

Ghana has made large in-

vestments in basic infrastructure,

including rural feeder roads and has

increased its spending on education

and health care.

Debt cancellation is an excellent tool for

supporting development because it provides

direct and predictable budgetary support to

impoverished countries, avoiding the costly

processes that accompany the application

for, granting and monitoring of overseas

aid.

How Much Debt Must Be Can-

celled to Meet the MDGs?

It is becoming clear that it will be impossi-

ble to meet the MDGs without 100 percent

multilateral debt cancellation for impover-

ished nations. UK Finance Minister Gordon

Brown estimates that 67 countries require

100% debt cancellation in order to meet the

MDGs. Moreover, in order to meet goals four

through six, which relate to health, heavily

indebted poor countries would have to spend

at least $20 billion annually.

Let us do our part and make a difference for

the people in our world today that have the

chains of poverty.

For more information see http://www.jubileeusa.org/

index.php or e-mail jpicssps@yahoo.com

Poverty High Across the Nation

According to the Coalition of Human Needs

and the new census data, 12 states have more

than one-quarter of their children poor and 20

states have 15 % of their people with no

health insurance. On September 13, the

Census Bureau released the National Census

data highlighting a record-breaking 46.2 mil-

lion Americans living in poverty. Poverty

rose in 49 states from 2009 to 2010. In 37

states, unemployment rose by 50 percent or

more from 2006 to 2010. http://www.chn.org/pdf/2011/

AccessingCensusData2011.pdf

The chains we made

last year were

brought to the White

House rally.

This year you will

be invited to have a Jubilee Sunday celebrat-

ed on October 16 in connection with the

World Food Day and the International Day

for the Eradication of Poverty. Materials will

be sent out to you for prayers, learning about

debt and actions.

Adapted from Jubilee USA

Sr. Rose Therese Nolta, SSpS